


The Boscombe Valley Omission

by methylviolet10b



Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Alternate Ending, Friendship, Prompt Fic, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-20
Updated: 2013-02-20
Packaged: 2017-11-29 22:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/691978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/methylviolet10b/pseuds/methylviolet10b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Watson did not fully detail the conclusion of the case in his written account of "The Boscombe Valley Mystery."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Boscombe Valley Omission

**Author's Note:**

> An alternate ending to the ACD canon story [The Boscombe Valley Mystery](http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Boscombe_Valley_Mystery). Read that story before reading this unless you want to be seriously spoiled. Written in response to the following challenge:
> 
> PROMPT: Alternate FINIS  
> Requirements: You must rewrite the end scene of a case, in any universe you choose (book, movie, television) - and in any way you choose. If you want to make it angstier, feel free; if you want to add a gratuitous wrap-up scene that really needed to be in there (or delete the ennnnndless exposition), go for it; if you think it was unrealistic and want to just kill off all the characters, now's your chance. Pick a story/episode/movie, and end it differently than the original.

 

 

 

 _“God help us!” said Holmes after a long silence. “Why does fate play such tricks with poor, helpless worms? I never hear of such a case as this that I do not think of Baxter’s words, and say, ‘There, but for the grace of God, goes Sherlock Holmes.’ ”_  

_James McCarthy was acquitted at the Assizes on the strength of a number of objections which had been drawn out by Holmes and submitted to the defending counsel. Old Turner lived for seven months after our interview, but he is now dead; and there is every prospect that the son and daughter may come to live happily together in ignorance of the black cloud which rests upon their past._

\--Text as recounted by Watson in _The Boscombe Valley Mystery_

 

 

 

“God help us!” said Holmes after a long silence. “Why does fate play such tricks with poor, helpless worms? John Turner struck down McCarthy, true, but with a father’s love for his child in his heart and the best of intentions guiding his hand. He did wrong in his youth, and has lived his entire life since then atoning for it. Now he has done wrong in his old age, and will have no chance to atone. Indeed, his crime will live on to doubly haunt the very daughter he committed murder to protect; for it will deprive her of her beloved father as well as the man she clearly loves.”

“How so, Holmes?” I ejaculated. “You have already sworn never to show Turner’s confession to any mortal eyes, to keep his secret whether he be alive or dead.”

Holmes shook his head. “Only if James McCarthy is not condemned. And as things stand now, he almost certainly will be. Lestrade is not imaginative, but he is tenacious, and he can be remarkably clear-sighted about certain things. He spoke the truth when he said ‘Theories are all very well, but we have to deal with a hard-headed British jury.’ And as you yourself pointed out, many men have been hanged on far slighter evidence than that which is thrown against this unfortunate young man.” Holmes shook his head slowly, his face as bleak as I had ever seen it. “The Assizes will go against him, and I will be forced to save the boy at the price of Turner’s life and respectability, and cost him Alice Turner to boot. Any way that I act, I cannot help but do evil to someone. There are always cases such as these, but I have never faced one personally before now. I never hear of such a case as this that I do not think of Baxter’s words, and think ‘There but for the grace of God goes Sherlock Holmes.’ Well, and now grace has deserted me.”

“Oh, Holmes.” I placed one hand on his rigid arm, attempting to comfort, although I could see no comfort myself. “My dear fellow, do not despair just yet. Surely we can find a way to prevent this.”

“I can think of none,” was Holmes’ bitter rejoinder.

He could not, alone, but all was not lost. Lestrade came by our hotel not half an hour after Turner’s departure, a troubled look on his sharp-featured face. My friend’s earlier words to his fellow investigator had not sat well with him. One look at Holmes’ expression – unusually disturbed and exceedingly grave – and our friend the Inspector made one of his rare, intuitive leaps. His eyes met mine, and after taking in what he saw there, he nodded once, slowly.

He did not ask any questions, and to this day I do not entirely know all of what he guessed. Although he was there on a privately-hired basis, he was still an Inspector of Scotland Yard, and there were certain things he could not – dared not – know, must not do even in unofficial capacity. But as I sat and listened, offering occasional questions and advice, together he and Holmes concocted an entirely plausible (and as far as Lestrade was concerned, entirely truthful) theory of “the third man” present at the scene of McCarthy’s murder. The third man who was the true murderer, who had left clear traces (such as cigar-ash) that could be attested to by the famous amateur and the Scotland Yard Inspector, and whose mysterious characteristics and identity in no way led back to Mr. Turner. Their combined testimony, combined with the cleverest legal counsel Mr. Turner’s money could buy, was enough – barely – to turn the tide.

James McCarthy was acquitted at the Assizes on the strength of a number of objections, the aforementioned testimony, and a number of evidentiary objections which had been drawn out by Holmes and Lestrade and submitted to the defending counsel. Old Turner had tears of joy in his eyes for the son of his longtime bitter enemy on the day the boy emerged into the sunlight, a free man. His joy gave him an extra lease on life; he lived for seven months after our interview. Shortly after his death, James McCarthy proposed to Alice Turner. Within a year they were man and wife, joined together happily in ignorance of the black cloud that rested upon their past. Sadly, they only had a short time together to cherish their joy. A pestilent fever claimed both their lives before their second anniversary. In their wills, they kindly left remembrances for both Holmes and Lestrade, leading me to wonder whether the happy pair had some inkling of the part both men had played in clearing the obstacles to their union. As for myself, their untimely deaths cleared the way for me to include this most unusual item in my recounting of Holmes’ notable cases, with a few judicious alterations. I regret that in the published version of the case I could not give Lestrade all the credit that he deserved in helping achieve the solution, but I am certain that he cherishes his official career more than any individual recognition.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted July 23, 2011


End file.
